National Research Rankings

At Baylor Graduate School, students have the opportunity to pursue academic excellence and make a difference as they work side by side with nationally recognized researchers. Baylor's graduate programs receive national rankings and are noted for competitive research opportunities.

Hankamer School of Business

Baylor's Hankamer School of Business, which moved into its new Paul L. Foster Campus for Business and Innovation in fall 2015, moved up one place to No. 57 among the top-rated master's programs in business accredited by AACSB International.

To determine the rankings, U.S. News surveyed all 470 master's programs in business accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International. The rankings were calculated on a weighted average of nine measures of quality, including peer and recruiter assessments, placement success and student selectivity.

Among specialty rankings, Baylor's online MBA program, which began in May 2014, was ranked No. 69, based on factors such as admissions selectivity, reputation for excellence among peer institutions and academic and career support services offered to students.

Health Disciplines

For the 2017 graduate rankings, U.S. News newly ranked a number of health disciplines through peer assessment surveys sent to deans, other administrators and/or faculty at accredited degree programs or schools in each discipline.

School of Education

Baylor's School of Education advanced to No. 78 in the 2017 U.S. News graduate program rankings, up five places from last year. To determine the rankings, U.S. News surveyed graduate education programs at 376 schools granting degrees in fall 2015. The rankings are calculated on a weighted average of 10 measures of quality, including peer and superintendent assessments, student selectivity, faculty resources, and research activity.

Social Sciences and Humanities

Baylor's graduate programs in the social sciences and humanities are featured in the 2013 U.S. News and World Report ranking. Rankings of doctoral programs in the social sciences and humanities are based on the results of peer assessment surveys sent to academics in each discipline. The following Baylor graduate programs are featured:

The Sciences

Baylor graduate programs in the sciences were re-ranked in 2014 by U.S. News rankings. Rankings of doctoral programs in the sciences are based solely on the results of surveys sent to academics in biological sciences, chemistry, computer science, earth sciences, mathematics, physics and statistics. Only schools that awarded at least five doctoral programs were ranked in several categories, including:

Louise Herrington School of Nursing

The master of science degree in nursing (MSN) program at Baylor's Louise Herrington School of Nursing in Dallas moved up 14 places to No. 58 in the 2017 U.S. News graduate rankings, while the doctor of nursing practice (DNP) program improved 27 places to Doctor of Nursing Practice, No. 45. In addition, LHSON's nursing-midwifery program also was ranked No. 10 nationally.

To determine the rankings, U.S. News surveyed 519 nursing schools with master's or doctoral programs accredited in late summer 2015 by either the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing. The nursing school graduate program and DNP rankings were calculated on a weighted average of 14 measures of quality, among them peer assessment, master's and DNP program student selectivity and master's and DNP program size, faculty resources and research activity.

Biomedical Studies

Baylor Biomedical Studies Rates Among Best Private Programs
The Biomedical Studies program at Baylor ranks among the nation's top private programs according to the National Research Council's (NRC) latest comprehensive ratings of doctoral programs.

The NRC conducted an extensive study of 5,004 doctoral programs in 212 universities for the study released in 2010. Data was collected on an array of factors including faculty publications, citations, grants, GRE scores, financial support, publications, and placement of students. The factors attempt to give a complete picture of a graduate program, and as a result several rankings replace a single overall ranking. Biomedical Studies was one of 120 similar programs evaluated in the study. About one-third of those programs are at private universities.

According to data published by NRC, Baylor Biomedical Studies ranks among the nation's best private schools in several categories including research activity. Faculty publications ranked the program 23rd among private institutions, and citations placed the program 12th.

Biomedical Studies also ranked highly in student support with 100% of first-year students receiving full financial support and 54% completing the doctoral program within eight years. Baylor's completion rate was the 7th highest percentage among private schools and 37th overall. In percentage of research assistantships, Baylor ranked third among private programs, behind Columbia University and New York Medical College, and 22nd among all schools. Additionally, Baylor's percentage of Teaching Assistantships was among the nation's highest - sixth among private schools and 27th overall.

The report also shows that Baylor Biomedical Studies continues to recruit some of the nation's finest scholars. Graduate Students have an average GRE score of 714, eleventh best among private programs and 26th overall. NRC data also reveals Biomedical Studies at Baylor is one of the nation's most diverse programs. The Baylor's percentage of International Students ranked 5th best among private schools and 15th best in the nation.

Chemistry

Baylor Chemistry and Biochemistry Earns High Ranks in Student Support and Diversity
The Chemistry and Biochemistry doctoral program at Baylor ranks among the nation's top private programs according to the National Research Council's (NRC) latest comprehensive ratings of doctoral programs.

The NRC conducted an extensive study of 5,004 doctoral programs in 212 universities for the study released in 2010. Data was collected on an array of factors including faculty publications, citations, grants, GRE scores, financial support, publications, and placement of students. The factors attempt to give a complete picture of a graduate program, and as a result several rankings replace a single overall ranking. The study ranked 178 chemistry programs at public and private institutions.

Baylor Chemistry and Biochemistry ranked highly in Student Support and Outcomes- one of the NRC's main evaluation tools. With 100% of first-year students receiving full-funding, a graduation rate of 61%, and 60% of graduates placed in academic jobs, Baylor ranked tenth best among private schools. Others in the top ten included Harvard, Princeton, Cornell, Yale, and Duke. Students graduated in an average of 5.0 years, eighth best among private programs. Baylor was also among the top private programs in assistantships - ranking 10th in research assistantships and 12th in teaching assistantships.

NRC data also reveals that Baylor's Chemistry and Biochemistry Department is one of the nation's most diverse, ranking 11th among private programs. Baylor's percentage of minority faculty tied for second among private schools and was the sixth highest percentage overall and the highest percentage in Texas. In addition, the programs percentages of female faculty, female students, minority students, and international students all ranked in the top twenty.

Educational Psychology

Educational Psychology Gaining National Prominence
Although Baylor's graduate program in Educational Psychology is little more than a decade old, the program is quickly becoming a top program according to rankings compiled by Academic Analytics. Data released in April of 2011 indicates that Baylor's Educational Psychology program now ranks sixth among private institutions and 34th overall, up 20 spots from the previous year. Baylor also has the third highest ranked program in Texas, just behind the bigger programs at the state's largest universities.

According to its website, Academic Analytics uses business intelligence data to compare research activity at academic institutions across the nation. Data is then assessed, and programs can be ranked holistically and according to specific criteria. Other ranking entities like U.S. News and World Report and the National Research Council (NRC) make take several years to update data used in its ranking. The NRC, for example, updated its rankings in the fall of 2010, fifteen years after its previous study. Academic Analytics collects yearly data, and rankings typically reflect the last two or three years of research activity within an institution.

This is particularly useful for a young program like Educational Psychology, which was too young to be included in the NRC study. The program was first developed in the late 1990's by Susan Johnsen. Dr. Johnsen currently acts as the Graduate Program Director.

In their most recent study, Academic Analytics evaluated the research activity at 61 similar programs across the country. Baylor's Educational Psychology ranked 6th in book publications by faculty, 13th in the percentage of faculty with an article, and 16th in the total number of books. This is particularly impressive when you consider the size of our program, Dr. Johnsen notes. We only have eight full-time faculty, and we are being compared to departments that have twenty and thirty.

The size of the program is one of its strengths. According to Johnsen, only four or five new students are admitted each year. When students come in they are assigned a mentor, Johnsen explains. We match the research interests of our incoming students with the research of our faculty. Our expectation is that every student will publish before he or she leaves Baylor. In fact, students published twenty articles in the summer of 2011, most of these co-authored with educational psychology faculty members.

Baylor begins a large project with Waco Independent School District in the fall of 2011. The project will look at interventions and involve 90 classroom teachers and ten graduate students. Johnsen's thirteenth book is co-authored with Tracey Sulak and Karen Rollins, graduate students in the program. Due next spring, the book will address responses to intervention and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004.

English

Baylor English Rated Nation's Best in Student Support and Outcomes
Baylor's English Department joined the ranks of the nation's top programs according to the National Research Council's (NRC) latest comprehensive ratings of doctoral programs.

The NRC conducted an extensive study of 5,004 doctoral programs in 212 universities. For the study released in 2010, the NRC evaluated more than one hundred English, Language and Literature programs, examining an array factors including faculty publications, citations, grants, GRE scores, financial support, publications, and placement of students. The factors attempt to give a complete picture of a graduate program, and as a result several rankings replace a single overall ranking.

In terms of Student Support and Outcomes, NRC data identifies Baylor's English Department as the top overall program in the nation. Student Support and Outcomes rankings are a composite of five factors, including the percentage of first-year students receiving full financial support, Ph.D. completion percentage, and median time to degree. Of the 119 programs in the study, Baylor's English Department was the only program to provide 100% funding and boast a 100% completion rate, and Baylor graduate students earned a Ph.D. in an average of five years. Other schools in the top ten include Brown, Stanford, Harvard, Cornell, and Notre Dame. Additionally, Baylor and Catholic University were the only schools in the study to provide assistantships to 100% of doctoral students.

NRC data also indicates that Baylor English students enter the program with some of the nation's highest GRE scores. With an average Verbal Reasoning score of 687, English students rank 23rd in the nation, on par with Penn, Vanderbilt, and Notre Dame. English faculty ranked 26th overall in faculty publications, tenth among private institutions, and tops in Texas.

Dr. James Barcus, graduate program director for the English program, acknowledged the recent support the program has received in recent years. Baylor has offered the Ph.D. in English for 50 years, but recently the University has provided a level of support that has allowed the English Department to build on the hard work of earlier chairs and graduate program directors, Barcus said. The result is that the publications and strong teaching of faculty have attracted a superb group of graduate students who are distinguishing them as scholar/teachers around the United States.

Dr. Larry Lyon, Dean of Baylor Graduate School, attributes the English department's dramatic climb to several factors."I am pleased with the results, but not surprised", Lyon stated. "The English Department has made remarkable progress - progress we anticipated when we initiated Baylor 2012. This new data publicly confirms what we privately knew - Baylor's English department has an excellent faculty that consistently recruits students whose academic excellence and faith-based values rival any school in the country."

Mathematics

Baylor Mathematics Ranks Among the Nation's Best in Student Support
The Mathematics doctoral program at Baylor ranks among the nation's top private programs according to the National Research Council's (NRC) latest comprehensive ratings of doctoral programs.

The NRC conducted an extensive study of 5,004 doctoral programs in 212 universities for the study released in 2010. Data was collected on an array of factors including faculty publications, citations, grants, GRE scores, financial support, publications, and placement of students. The factors attempt to give a complete picture of a graduate program, and as a result several rankings replace a single overall ranking. The study ranked 127 mathematics programs, about one-third of those programs are at private institutions.

Baylor Mathematics ranked highly in Student Support and Outcomes - one of the NRC's main evaluation tools. With 100% of first-year students receiving full-funding, a graduation rate of 41%, and 67% of graduates placed in academic jobs, Baylor ranked 13th best among private schools, just behind Notre Dame and Penn and ahead of Yale. According to the study, Baylor students graduate in an average of 3.0 years, the quickest time to degree of any private school and the third fastest overall. Baylor was also among the nation's top programs in teaching assistantships - ranking 9th among private institutions and 36th overall. In addition, Baylor Mathematics ranked 8th overall in total percentage of assistantships and fellowships, on par with Ohio State and ahead of Harvard and Duke.

NRC data also reveals that Baylor Mathematics is a leader in research activity. Baylor faculty ranked 9th among private programs in faculty publications and 24th in citations.

Psychology

NRC Ranks Baylor Psychology Among Nation's Best Private Programs

Baylor Psychology ranks among the nation's top private programs according to the National Research Council's (NRC) latest comprehensive ratings of doctoral programs.

The NRC conducted an extensive study of 5,004 doctoral programs in 212 universities for the study released in 2010. Data was collected on an array of factors including faculty publications, citations, grants, GRE scores, financial support, publications, and placement of students. The factors attempt to give a complete picture of a graduate program, and as a result several rankings replace a single overall ranking. Psychology is one of the largest field in the study with 236 programs evaluated. About one-third of those programs are at private universities.

According to data published by NRC, Baylor Psychology ranks among the nation's best private schools in student support. Student Support and Outcomes ratings are a composite of five factors, including the percentage of first-year students receiving full financial support, Ph.D. completion percentage, and median time to degree. According to the study, 100% of Baylor doctoral students in Psychology received full-funding their first year, helping the program rank 25th best among private schools. Additionally, 70% of doctoral students held a teaching assistantship, the second best percentage among private schools and 13th overall.

The NRC evaluated research activity for each institution, where Baylor's Psychology professors also ranked among the nation's best. Faculty publications ranked the program 13th among private institutions, and citations placed the program 16th. Baylor Psychology has one of the nation's highest percentages of tenured faculty - the fifth highest percentage among private schools and 20th overall.

The report also shows that Baylor Psychology continues to recruit some of the nation's most diverse students. The percentage of minority students in the program was the 17th highest among private programs, and the percentage of women in the program ranked 35th.

Religion

Baylor Religion Rates Among Nation's Best

The Department of Religion at Baylor continues to rank among the nation's top programs according to the National Research Council's (NRC) latest comprehensive ratings of doctoral programs.

The NRC conducted an extensive study of 5,004 doctoral programs in 212 universities for the study released in 2010. Data was collected on an array of factors including faculty publications, citations, grants, GRE scores, financial support, publications, and placement of students. The factors attempt to give a complete picture of a graduate program, and as a result several rankings replace a single overall ranking.

According to data published by NRC, Baylor's Department of Religion ranks among the nation's best in student support. Student Support and Outcomes ratings are a composite of five factors, including the percentage of first-year students receiving full financial support, Ph.D. completion percentage, and median time to degree. More than 90% of Baylor doctoral students in Religion received full-funding their first year, and 68% graduated within eight years - the fourth highest percentage in the nation. Students graduated in an average of 6.5 years, the eighth quickest in the study.

Additionally, the NRC evaluated research activity for each institution, where Baylor's Department of Religion professors also ranked among the nation's best. NRC's report reflects a range of rankings, and Baylor's median score ranked the doctoral program seventh overall and third-best among faith-based programs. Other programs in the top ten included the University of Chicago, Duke, Princeton, and Notre Dame. The high ranking is in part a product of the exceptionally high-rate of publications by Baylor faculty. Averaging 18.09 publications per year, Department of Religion faculty ranked sixth overall. The department also ranked tenth overall in grant percentage.

The report also indicates that Baylor Religion continues to recruit top students. With an average GRE Verbal Reasoning score of 658, Baylor tied with Emory for the fifth highest average among faith-based programs.

Sociology

NRC Ranks Baylor Sociology Among Nation's Best

The Sociology Department at Baylor continues to rank among the nation's top programs according to the National Research Council's (NRC) latest comprehensive ratings of doctoral programs.

The NRC conducted an extensive study of 5,004 doctoral programs in 212 universities for the study released in 2010. Data was collected on an array of factors including faculty publications, citations, grants, GRE scores, financial support, publications, and placement of students. The factors attempt to give a complete picture of a graduate program, and as a result several rankings replace a single overall ranking. Baylor's Sociology program was compared to 120 similar programs in the United States.

According to data published by NRC, Baylor Sociology ranks among the nation's best in student support. Student Support and Outcomes ratings are a composite of five factors, including the percentage of first-year students receiving full financial support, Ph.D. completion percentage, and median time to degree. According to the study, 100% of Baylor doctoral students in Sociology received full-funding their first year, and 100% graduated within eight years, making Baylor Sociology the only program in the nation capable of making that claim. Students graduated in an average of 4.0 years, the fourth quickest in the study. Overall, Baylor ranked sixth in Student Support and Outcomes. Other programs in the top ten included Penn, Brown, and Cornell.

Additionally, the NRC evaluated research activity for each institution, where Baylor's Sociology Department professors also ranked among the nation's best. Faculty publications placed Baylor Sociology 20th overall and 7th among private institutions. Faculty grants rated the program 12th overall, on par with Duke and Cornell. Faculty publications and faculty grants both earned Baylor the honor of best in Texas.

The report also shows that Baylor Sociology continues to recruit the nations's top students. With an average GRE Verbal Reasoning score of 677, Baylor Sociology ranked 24th overall and the highest average score in Texas.